Your overwhelming Home-Start support, donating gifts at our match at the beginning of December against Ross County, has helped local families massively as thanks to you, 180 children and 50 parents received Christmas gifts.
We called for fans to contribute and join the efforts of Home-Start in ensuring families with young children have an extra helping hand. You exceeded all expectations with generous donations of toys, selection boxes and toiletries. Often focus is solely on children but with your additional support, parents and carers were gifted too.
It is challenging raising a young family all year-round and Christmas brings added demands to parents. The strategic partnership between the club and Home-Start has the potential to further increase the impact of any essential fundraising activities. St Mirren understand Home-Start’s purpose as it matches our community-driven vision.
Through working alongside Home-Start, the club have committed to providing family tickets for all generations to enjoy a day out together, making memories. The initiative is in addition Help a Buddie ticket donations. The profile of Home-Start is also raised as regular updates are shared. St Mirren’s Chief Operating Officer, Keith Lasley is an ambassador for the local charity to ensure we fully collaborate with the dedicated team members who help families across Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
Thank you for exemplifying the power of Scottish football fans.
Keith Lasley, St Mirren Chief Operating Officer, shared the dedication the club has to put the community first in decision-making: “The generosity of our fans is special and is exactly what our club stands for. St Mirren’s mission is to be the best community centred football club and through the strategic partnership with Home-Start we can widen our reach and offer extra support to even more families.
“Each week our family stand is filled with parents or carers, grandparents, children and siblings, all making memories. We understand all families can need support and alongside Home-Start, our own initiatives like Help a Buddie and St Mirren charitable foundation activities, we’ll help make sure those across Renfrewshire who ask for a helping hand have options to receive support.”
Lisa Carberry, Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Interim Director, expressed her gratitude to the club: “It is fantastic to have St Mirren fans join our efforts in supporting local families with young children. It is not easy to raise a family and we want parents, carers and grandparents to know we are here to be a listening ear and helping hand. We are overwhelmed by the support shown to us from the Paisley club’s sports fans.”
